In the words of an English poet: "OO are Yer?"

Discussion in 'Tai chi' started by Taiji Butterfly, Apr 21, 2005.

  1. SunDowner

    SunDowner Valued Member

    Hi eveyone,
    My name is Paul and I'm 45 and live just outside Glasgow. I first started MA in the late 90's when I started Wing Chun. Over the years I trained in several clubs untill a shoulder injury pretty much put a stop to any 1 on 1 training. I still play the jong and my forms though.
    In the last few weeks though, I decided to take up Tai Chi, and having checked out different styles, found that the Chen style was what "spoke" to me. However finding classes has proved pretty fruitless, so at the moment I'm trying to pick up what I can from dvd's and books. I've been concentating mostly on silk reeling excercises till I get a feel for the quite differant body mechanics that I'm used to with the Wing Chun.
    Nice to meet you all.
     
  2. Dan Bian

    Dan Bian Neither Dan, nor Brian

    Welcome along Paul!

    Don't limit your search to Chen style based purely on the external appearance of the style, or rumours that you may have heard about x being more martial than y.
    Find a good teacher of any tai chi style, and you'll be in a good running.
     
  3. SunDowner

    SunDowner Valued Member

    Thanks for the welcome Taiji Student.
    Unfortunately the only classes available in my area are morning classes at the local sports center and being in the unfortunate position of having to work for a living, lol, they're not an option.
    I get what you mean about not picking a style for style alone but, and no disrespect meant, isn't martial what it's all about, lol. Not that thats why I chose Chen, my Wing Chun takes care of that.
    But you're right, a good teacher in any system would be a godsend.


    edit for atrocious spelling.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2009
  4. Dan Bian

    Dan Bian Neither Dan, nor Brian

    Interesting...

    Do you consider Chen to be the only/most martial style of Taiji?
     
  5. SunDowner

    SunDowner Valued Member

    I know too little of Tai Chi to make any assumptions on which is most martial, they all are to my untrained eye. And since they all are I feel I can make the decision on which to take up on other aspects. For one, the circular energies used are similar to those in WC, at least from the little I've picked up. And, as I said, the dynamism of the form is one that I feel my personalty could express better.
     
  6. taijiguy

    taijiguy New Member

    OO I arrrrrr

    I live in central Ohio and started practicing tai chi back in the mid 90's. I took an adult ed class at OSU. I knew nothing of the art form except for the typical (mis)information that most people seem to obtain. Today I consider myself quite fortunate that I got in with the group that I did, as obviously there are a lot of people out there teaching who have no business doing so. My instructor had trained with William CC Chen. So fortunately I learned a pretty complete form, including push hands, boxing, free fighting, etc. I trained intensively for several years until a geographical move put me just out of reasonable range of the school. I more or less fell away from the training for many years until recently a guy opened a studio local to me. We spent several hours talking and I became quite comfortable with his knowledge and skill and have started training with him now. His form is very different (Yang long form as opposed to Yang short form that I started with) His body mechanics are somewhat different from Master Chen's, which is proving to be a bit of challenge for me not only to adapt to, but also to *accept*. Although in the spirit of being objective and open to new ways, I *am* trying. This same instructor teaches kung-fu which I've also wanted to study. But I've been turned off by the typical "belt factory" corporate type studios I've looked at. He teaches it minus the belts or "levels" which is exactly the type of instruction I was hoping to find. He also acknowledges and encourages the benefits of letting tai chi mechanics influence the kung fu. So at 51 I'm starting a whole new tai chi form, and taking up kung fu.
    Maybe more than anyone cares about, but there it is anyway. :)
     
  7. embra

    embra Valued Member

    welcome to the tcc part of map from a fellow 51 year-old!
     
  8. kenponidan

    kenponidan New Member

    Like Taijiguy, I am from Central Ohio. My background is mostly Okinawa Kenpo but I have taken Tai Chi through a local new age store (Yang modified) and with Master Mollica (Chang Tai Chi). Unfortunately my ability to actually attend real classes is zilch but I continue to practice what I learned.
     
  9. lineofintent

    lineofintent Valued Member

    Morning all,
    Well, I've been toe-dipping for a few weeks now and like what I see of this site.

    I've practiced Yang style Tai Chi for about 9 years now. I practice a variation on the 108 long form, as well as tui-shou, form applications, san da, jian form and applications, zhan zhuang and neigong.

    I'm looking forward to getting more involved here in the Tai Chi section :)

    Jim
     
  10. lakurumau

    lakurumau New Member

    Howdy,

    My name's Lucinda. I'm a black belt in taekwondo and a complete beginner in tai chi. I've read lots about it but only managed to "learn" from a DVD.

    Eager to get to a class as I want to know more about this martial art!
     
  11. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    Welcome,lakurumau.

    As you haven't begun training in TC yet you might wish to start a thread in the forum to tell where you're located and ask if anyone knows of folks worth studying with in your area.Unfortunately you'll find the majority of people teach only form and don't know very much so hopefully we could save you time and direct you to some worthwhile teacher(s).
     
  12. Tian-Tian

    Tian-Tian Awesome 15 minutes a day.

    Hello, everyone!

    I've been seen here and there in the forums, mostly in Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido.

    Since my various injuries from last year (ankle, neck, spine, etc), I decided a gentler style would be best for my body to properly heal... so I've registered with a Tai Chi class on campus at Utah Valley University. :)

    So far, from what I understand, we are studying the Yang style. First day of class was today and so far, so good! :D
     
  13. embra

    embra Valued Member

    Well done Tian-Tian. Everyone's body needs rest after serious injury (it happened to me many years ago.)

    Now after a 22 year gap, going at it hammer and tongs is not such a big deal, as I have learned to observe a lot more what my body does, how it reacts and recovers.

    TaiChi is good for these aspects. In time TaiChi can be all hammer and tongs as well as introspective and observational.
     
  14. Lau

    Lau 8-bit power

    Totally overlooked this thread, so a late introduction is in order.

    My name is Lawrence Robinson, 38 yrs, married, 5yrs old son who started his Wushu classes only last week. I'm living in The Netherlands.

    I took up Tai Chi right after my birthday 3rd Sept. this year, mainly to support my Wushu classes (taken up at the same time), weightloss and get some peace of mind.

    I intend to stick with this one as it really does help me to reflect on daily life in a much more relaxed manner than I ever could before. My wife and I have a very busy life, both working fulltime in probably one of the most densely populated part of The Netherlands (meaning stuck in traffic every day). Before I would go to the pub to get my relaxation, obviously a bad thing, took me years to finally realise that (it's amazing how much your mind can fool you thru denial of a problem).
     
  15. Bob Klein

    Bob Klein Valued Member

    Hello to everyone. I was a Tai-chi-Chuan student of William C. C. Chen in my late teens and 20's. I'm 62 now and have been teaching in the Rocky Point area of Long Island since 1975. Classes are in Yang and Chen forms, animal and weapons forms, chi-gung (which I call "zookinesis"), free style push hands and sparring.

    I was a zoologist for the first 20 years of my adult life, travelling to the jungles of Central America and working with hundreds of species up here. The animals gave me a great insight into movement. Also studied massage and other healing modalities.

    I live with my wife of 20 years in a little house with great gardens and the Tai-chi studio. Our daughter is on her own now.

    Most of my work is producing instructional dvds on Tai-chi and other exercise and other martial arts (www.movementsofmagic.com) and writing books (Movements of Magic - the Spirit of Tai-chi-Chuan", "Movements of Power - Ancient Secrets of Unleashing Instinctual Vitality" and the adventure novel, "The Doubting Snake"). I also teach chi-gung at senior facilities.

    The only Tai-chi community I have been connected to was the Tai-chi Farm Festival each year (started in 1975) and now the Tai-chi Park. So I am looking for an online community since that's where the world seems to meet these days.
     
  16. Dean Winchester

    Dean Winchester Valued Member

    New Tai Chi dude here :D


    Not new to MAP though of course.
     
  17. AndrewTheAndroid

    AndrewTheAndroid A hero for fun.

    Cool man what style?
     
  18. Dean Winchester

    Dean Winchester Valued Member

    Er erm that Chinese one .....


    :D


    I'm told primarily Yang but also they have been recently introducing Sun.
     
  19. YouKnowWho

    YouKnowWho Valued Member

    I started my Taiji training when I was 7. I'm the 2nd generation of Chang taiji. My teacher was the founder in that Taiji system.

    Oneday some knocking on my teacher's door. My teacher open the door, there were 2 soldiers on the horse back wanted my teacher to meet with their boss. When my teacher got there, the warlord general Li Jinglin (李景林, 1885 - 1931) was doing Taiji push hand with his students. Li asked my teacher, "What do you think about my push hand?" My teacher said, "It looks like your students were just let you to push them around." Li was not very happy about my teacher's comment. Li asked my teacher to play push hand with him. When Li used Taiji diagonal fly on my teacher, my teacher used SC shoulder strike and threw Li. After that Li taught my teacher Taiji and my teacher taught him SC. They integrated Taiji and SC together. That was the birth of the Chang style of Taiji.

    Here is a picture of Li Jinglin (李景林, 1885 - 1931) and his background.

    [​IMG]

    http://kungfu.chinese.cn/en/article/2009-08/29/content_23017.htm
     
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2012
  20. Pearlmks

    Pearlmks Valued Member

    Started Tai chi in February, along with a little pa kua and "regular" (don't know the right way of phrasing it) wu shu. Live in Argentina, so forgive whatever issues my English may have. I'm coming back from a serious shoulder injury so... taking it slow. The system includes chi kung and meditation.
     

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